Purpose and Base Features
This independent release of pRun is identical to the version in PupMenu, but may be of interest to those who prefer a separate run-dialog utility.

The pRun utility is an application launcher with features similar to standard run-dialog utilities such as gExec, gRun and gmRun. Unlike the companion PupMenu which is an application finder, launcher and editor based on conventional menu files, pRun surveys applications in the PATH environment and provides a scrollable list of executables arranged alphabetically. pRun is a standalone program but will integrate seamlessly with the companion PupApps, PupControl and PupMenu.

You can selectively launch an application with the standard pRun launch button, or enter part of an application name in the search box to quickly parse files in a manner analogous to auto-completion. Pressing the Enter key will launch the first item in the search list, assuming the file is a launchable executable. The option to run an application in a terminal emulator is easily set by the toggle checkbox (Term) which is available on the main user interface. As expected, pRun launches single-name executables in the PATH environment, but also supports command arguments. For example, press the Enter key after typing the following in the search box: defaultbrowser http://www.google.com/

The search box, which features a standard 'clear' icon for starting a new search, is also flanked by two functional icons. Click the left (blue terminal) icon to open the default terminal emulator – with support for rxvt, urxvt, mrxvt, aterm, xterm, konsole, roxterm, sakura, Terminal, terminal, termit, and lxterminal. Click the right (loupe) icon to toggle standard and enhanced search modes. Standard searching in pRun parses the first letter of each PATH application and sorts all names alphabetically. The enhanced search mode enables comprehensive parsing of all character combinations that match the current search parameters. For example, with standard searching, entering 'burn' in the pRun search box will return burniso2cd, but the same entry with enhanced searching will return multiple matches such as burniso2cd, cdburner-wizard and pburn.

In Preferences, you will find spinbox options for setting the GUI fontsize (10pt or 11pt) and for selecting the default number of items displayed in the launch history (range 10-30). pRun features a fully-automated launch history (blue folder icon on the main interface) which facilitates access to recently launched applications.

The Preferences module includes a toggle checkbox which enables/disables the automatic closing of pRun after launching an application, and a second toggle checkbox which enables/disables double-click launching of applications. A combobox drop-down list provides options for the default terminal emulator. The associated 'Close' checkbox determines the post-launch status of the terminal. For example, the terminal must remain open (Close box unchecked) for successful launching of some terminal programs such as the command-line 'cal' utility. However, many terminal programs such as top, htop, e3 and mp will launch properly without holding the terminal open (Close box checked). Generally, if a launchable terminal application aborts while loading, then unchecking the 'Close' checkbox may lead to successful launching. To illustrate this function, select the 'Term' checkbox on the main user interface and deselect (uncheck) the terminal 'Close' checkbox in Preferences, then type 'cal 2013' in the search box and press the Enter key. This will launch the terminal calendar application (cal) and associated argument (2013), with the terminal held open. You will quickly learn the requirements of each terminal application.

Program access is by Puppy Menu->Utility->pRun, or by the default Ctrl+Alt+R keyboard shortcut in supported window managers. This hotkey sequence is already assigned to another utility in Fluxbox, but the Preferences module of pRun will set the Ctrl+Alt+R shortcut in current releases of IceWm, JWM, Openbox, LXDE and LXPanel. Alternatively, utilities such as xbindkey or sven will assign preferred hotkey sequences to almost any application, and a similar function is available in the XFCE4 desktop environment.

One final caveat: Those who are new to the Linux command structure may find run-dialog programs of limited utility due to an abundance of esoteric PATH executables, of which many are unlaunchable. However, with a little patience, most users will find run-dialog utilities are convenient alternatives to the standard menu format of conventional window managers.

Version 1.1. See main post.
- Added optional double-click launching of applications (set in Preferences).
- Bugfix: In some scenarios, the search toggle-button icon did not show._________________PupMatesEdited_times_total

And then I discovered pRun opens the applications in their English version, not seeing the user's language settings.

I briefly tried to add some code lines from other scripts, but no luck.

What would it take to make pRun open the apps localized?

"On behalf of the puppy world community: Thanks!"

Hi Bert,

A little history may be helpful before I answer your question.

While developing PupMenu, I found that using the search box to parse the names of applications resulted in significant key lag if the characters are entered too rapidly. However, this problem is circumvented if "LANG=C" is temporarily set each time PupMenu is launched. Then, when you exit PupMenu, the LANG variable is reset automatically to the current default (which would be Dutch for you).

Although LANG=C enhances the search process, it interferes with non-English locales when applications are launched from PupMenu. I suppose one solution (for non-English users) would be to comment the two LANG lines in PupMenu-bin, and accept the potential key lag when using the search box.

Currently, the pRun utility also uses the "LANG=C" workaround to ensure no key lag in the search box. However, in retrospect, probably this is not really necessary since the searched database is both simple and small. So, you could comment lines #16 and #240 in /usr/local/prun/prun (pRun-1.1), effectively removing the code which sets LANG=C. At this point, applications should launch in their non-English versions (if available). But there is one caveat: if you launch pRun from PupMenu, then LANG=C is already set by PupMenu.

This is truly one very helpful programme! I hope that nobody allows the simplistic look of this app to throw them off from downloading it as it's an extremely useful app - moreso than any of the other above-mentioned runner-apps which I've tried before.

I use these starter-apps all the time, my past favourite having been gexec. It's just so much easier to keep one either opened, or handy on the taskbar just a click away, where I can quickly write in the name ( or even the first few letters ) of the app, press the "enter" key - bob's your uncle! - and there's your app all ready to be used. ( Okie... it may sound like more work than using the menu but it's really not and it's actually far faster when working, trust me! )

As I said radky, gexec was my former favourite. Now it has been replaced by a far superior product: pRun. It's going to be a very long time before this new king is dethroned!

Thank you radky for all the hard work you do contributing to the Puppy Community. It is vastly appreciated my friend!